Artificial facing-block for buildings



' *UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE..

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ARTIFICIAL FACING-BLOCK FOR BUILDINGS.

SPECIPIGATION Aforming part of `Letteren Patent No. 317,107, dated May 5, 1885.

Application iled February 9, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, HENRY G. FIsKE, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Artificial Facing-Blocks; and'I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates to the construction of c artificial facing-blocks for buildings; and it consists of a frame-work of considerable size made of longitudinal parallel strips having other strips nailed to them transversely near the ends, so as to form an open central space, these strips being built up to the desired height for the block, and afterward having the ends lled in with a compound of concrete or artificial stone, as will .be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which--` Figure l is aview of one of my blocks having one end filled to form the facing. Fig. 2 shows the method of applying the filling.

A A are longitudinal strips of board or plank of suitable width and` thickness, and B B are transverse strips which are nailed across the parallel longitudinal strips near their ends, so as to leave an open space between, while the ends of the strips project slightly, as shown in Fig. l.

C is a filling of concrete or articial stone, which is applied to one or more sides of this` frame, the side upon which the stone or other material is to be applied being uppermost while it is being put on. The sides of the transverseV strips are covered with boards so as to make a tight bottom, as shown at D. A frame-work, E, is then tted around the sides, extending from the bottom of the boards D up to a point level with or just above the upwardly-projecting ends of the longitudinal strips A as the frame work now stands.Y Within this exterior frame or casing the material of which the lling is to be composed is poured, either' artificial stone or concrete made into a plastic condition, so that it will fill all the interstices between and around the ends of the longitudinal and cross strips A and B, also extending beyond the sides so as to make a smooth and finished stone surface vblocks will be complete.

extending down to the bottom of the boards D, beforefreferred to. by a coat of asphaltum. If either of the other sides of the frame-work is to be filled, it may be treated in the same 1nanner,and when the material is suiiciently set the facing- The surface which was uppermost and horizontal while being formedwill be vertical and form the front when laid for use.

The wood work or strips A B may be of considerable length, so that when the blocks are to be used to form facings wherebuildings are to be erected or walls built the outer stone faces will be set next to each other in line until suflicient length has been formed. The inner portion of the frame-work A and B projects inwardly to a considerable distance, and the bottoms and back are boarded over. The space within this wood-work is then filled up with sand or earth Vand properly tamped, thus forming a bond to hold the whole firmly in place. These inwardly-projecting timbers serve to hold the stone facings or fronts in place and prevent their being moved by any pressure of sand, or from other causes.

If it is desired to apply the facing material to all sides of the frame-work A B,the interior sides may have lining-boards secured to them similar to those shown upon one end in Fig. 1, and the frame being laid in the center of an exterior mold the material in a plastic state is filled in around the frame, thus forming a hollow parallelogram.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A facing-block composed of -a series of The wood is protected parallel longitudinal and transverse strips fastened together so as to form an interior open space having a bottom, back or sides, and a lling of concrete or artificial stone on one or more sides of the framework, substantially as herein described.

2. A method of forming facinglblocks co11 sisting in nailing together alternate longitudinal and transverse strips so as to form a hollow framework, which is then set so that the ends of one `set of strips project vertically upward, a closed bottom, D, being formed Wood united as shown, and having one or Io upon the lower edges of the transverse strips, more ofthe ends or sides embedded in artificial Iand a mold or frame-Work placed around them stone7 substantially as herein described. to contain a illing` of plastic material which In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 5 is poured into the mold7 so that the ends of hand.

the frame-Work Will be embedded therein,sub- HENRY G. FISKE. stantially as herein described. Vitnesses: Y

8. A facing block composed of a frame- S. H. NoURsE, Work of longitudinal and transverse strips of H. C. LEE. 

